Machines for shaping the toe portions of slip-lasted shoes



April 3, 1956 c JAMES 2,740,140

MACHINES FOR SHAPING THE TOE PORTIONS OF SLIP-LASTED SHOES Filed Jan. 28, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet l i f I A ril 3, 1956 c. H. JAMES MACHINES FOR SHAPING THE TOE PORTIONS OF SLIP-LASTED SHOES 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 28, 1953 r o E n e u r Cyr'z' Z H James April 3, 1956 c. H. JAMES 2,740,140

MACHINES FOR SHAPING THE TOE PORTIONS OF SLIP-LASTED SHOES Filed Jan. 28, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Egg 3 f6 J6 K Inventor Cyrz'Z H Jc'zirzes NIACHINES FOR SHAPING THE TOE PORTIONS F SLlP-LASTED SHOES Cyril Harry James, Leicester, England, assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Flemington, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application January 23, 1953, Serial No. 333,736 Claims priority, application Great Britain March 14, 1952 14 Claims. (Cl. 12-7.8)

This invention relates to machines for shaping uppers over lasts and is herein illustrated in its application to machines for shaping the uppers of slip-lasted shoes. In its broadest aspect, however, the invention is not limited to machines for use in the manufacture of slip-lasted shoes but is applicable as well to machines for shaping the uppers of other types of shoes, for example, shoes of the stitchdown type.

At its inception the slip-lasted method of shoe manufacture was directed exclusively to the manufacture of open-toed shoes because the manufacture of closed-toed shoes by the slip-lasted method required the development of new machines and techniques. The insistent demand of the trade for low priced womens shoes having closed toes eventually resulted in the development of machines and techniques for manufacturing closed-teed shoes by the slip-lasted method. There has been fort to simplify such machines and techniques in order to reduce the cost of manufacture of closed-teed shoes by the slip-lasted method.

It is an object of this invention to provide simple and inexpensive means whereby the toe portions of shoe uppers may be shaped accurately and at a high production rate. More specifically it is the object of the present invention to provide machines, particularly adapted for use in the manufacture of shoes by slip-lasting methods, for shaping the toe portions of shoe uppers.

In one aspect thereof the present invention consists in the provision of a machine having a work support constructed and arranged to mount a last disposed in upright position and having an upper and shoe sole assembled thereon, a lasting wiper rigidly supported against movement heightwise of the last and means for moving the work support heightwise of the last relatively to the wiper thereby to shape the upper over the last. Upon the completion of the wiping operation a second work support is operated to move the last heightwise relatively to the first work support in order to cause the upper to be tensioned over the last. In the illustrated organization the movement of the first work support to cause the upper to be wiped over the last is arrested by the engagement of an extension of the work support with the wiper. The extension of the first work support provides a mounting for a marginal portion of a sole or sock lining extending beyond the edge of the last bottom and causes said margin to be gripped against the out-turned margin of the upper when the movement of the work support is arrester by the wiper. An actuator herein illustrated as a treadle is provided for moving the work support. The treadle operates the first work support through resilient means herein illustrated as a spring which yields upon engagement of the work support with the wiper to permit the treadle to actuate positive means for moving the second work support relatively to the first work support. In the illustrated organization the extent of movement of the second work support relatively to the first work support may be varied by the adjustment of means nited rates Patent *0 herein illustrated as a downwardly extending stem mounted in the second work support.

Certain types of shoes call for a heavier tension on the upper'material at the extremity of the toe than at the opposite sides of the toe portion. When the machine is to be prepared for operation on such shoes the usual second work support is removed from the machine and in its place there is provided an alternative work support having a work supporting surface which is inclined heelwardly relatively to the work supporting surface of the first work support. In its application to the organization including the alternative work support above described the present invention contemplates the combination of a first work support for mounting a shoe in upright position by engagement with a marginal area of the shoe bottom, a second work support having a work supporting surface which is inclined heelwardly relatively to the work supporting surface of the first work support and arranged to engage a central area of the shoe bottom surrounded by said marginal area, and means for nioving the second work support heightwise of a shoe in the machine relatively to the first work support. It will be understood that in the operation of the alternative work support the extremity of the toe portion of the last re ceives a movement relatively to the first work support greater in extent than the movement imparted to the opposite sides of the toe quently the extremityof the toe portion of the upper receives a stronger pull than is imparted to the opposite side portions of the upper.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the pended claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a machine embodying the features of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line II-ll of Fig. l, the toe portion of a shoe being shown on the work supports and a portion of the base of the machine being broken away in order to permit the treadle to be shown;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 2 omitting the frame and certain operating mechanisms and showing the machine at the completion of its operating cycle; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the same plane illustrating an alternative work support.

The illustrated machine comprises a head lO mounted on a base or standard 12. The head has parallel walls 14 and 16 projecting upwardly at opposite sides thereof and extending generally lengthwise of a shoe in the machine. The Walls are provided with guideways or grooves 18 and 20 in which is mounted any one of a plurality of toe wiper plates such, for example, as the wiper plate 22 illustrated in Fig. 1. The wiper plate has a wiping edge face 24 which extends about the entire toe portion of the shoe and performs a wiping action on the upper by relative movement of the wiper and the work supporting means heightas Fig. 2

'wise of'a shoe supportedthereon. The wiper plate 22 is invertible in order to permit it to operate on both shoes of a pair. The wiper is positioned lengthwise of a shoe in the machine by seating it against a shoulder 26 formed in a crosshead 28 extending between the walls 14 and 16 and the wiper plate is held in this position by a headed pin 30 extending through alined bores in the wiper plate and a lug 32 projecting from the central portion of the crosshead over the margin of the wiper plate.

For supporting a shoe in an upright position in the machine, a tubular column'34 is mounted on the standard 12 and is so positioned thereon that it is in vertical alinementwith the space between the opposite side portions of the wiping edge face 24 of the wiper plate. Slidably mounted within the tubular column 34 is an elevator or portion of the last and consepost 36 on the upper end portion of which is formed a peripheral flange 38. Adjacent to the bottom surface of the flange is a shoulder 40 which rests against the upper end face of the tubular column 34 when the machine is at rest. The post 36 has an axial bore 42 extending downwardly from its upper end and mounted in the bore is a stem 44 extending downwardly from a work supporting plate 46. The plate 46 is rectangular and its width is such that its opposite side edge faces bear against the side walls 14 and 16 of the machine head thus preventing angular movements of the plate about the axis or" the stem 44. The dimension of the plate 46 lengthwise of the shoe is such that it extends beyond the toe end of a shoe supported thereon as shown in Fig. 2, and extends heelwardly beyond the extremities of the wiper plate as shown in Fig. l. The lower portion of the stem 44 is reduced in diameter to provide an annular space between the stem and the bore 42 in the post 36 for a spring 48 the upper end of which bears against a shoulder 50 at the upper extremity of the reduced portion of the stem 44 and the lower end of which is seated against the base 92 of the bore 42. In its normal expanded position, as shown in Fig. 2, the spring 48 is somewhat longer than the reduced portion of the stem 44 and thus it will be seen that when the machine is at rest the work supporting plate 46 is supported against downward movement by the spring 48. Formed in the upper portion of the work supporting plate is a recess 52 which, as shown in Fig. 1, has the shape of an isosceles triangle with its corners rounded and its longitudinal axis parallel to the walls 14 and 16 of the machine head. Mounted in the recess 52 is a plate 54 having a shape complemental to the shape of the recess. When the machine is at rest the plate 54 is supported on the base of the recess 52 and its upper surface is flush with the upper surface of the work supporting plate 46. Thus the two plates 46 and 54, when the machine is at rest, provide a continuous supporting surface for the toe portion of a shoe arranged in an upright position thereon. Extending downwardly from the central portion of the plate 54 into a counterbore in the plate 46 is a stem 56 which is axially bored to receive a stem 58 which extends through said bore and through an axial bore in the stem 44 of the work supporting plate 46. The stem 58 has an externally threaded head 60 which is mounted in a tapped counterbore 62 in the stem 56 and is provided with a screw-driver slot to facilitate the vertical adjustment of the stem 58. The stem 58 extends downwardly beyond the lower end of the stem 44 to a determinate extent and for a purpose hereinafter explained.

For moving a shoe in the machine upwardly relatively to the wiper plate 22 to cause the shoe upper to be wiped heightwise with the last, a treadle 64 is pivotally mounted on a shaft 66 in the base of the standard 12 and is connected by a link 68 to a lever 70, fulcrumed on a crosspin 72 mounted in parallel vertical walls extending rearwardly from the tubular column 34 and framing an opening in the column through which the lever extends. The forward portion of the lever 70 is mounted between the parallel walls of a recess 76 formed. in the post 36 and is provided with a longitudinal slot 78 through which extends a pin 80 mounted in the post. The treadle 64 is normally held elevated by a spring 82, the upper end of which is anchored to a hook 84 in the base of the post 36 and the lower end of which is anchored to the standard 12.

The illustrated machine is particularly adapted to last the toe portions of slip lasted shoes in which an upper, such, for example, as the upper 86 illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, is secured to a thin insole or sock lining 88 from the tip line heelwardly by stitches extending along the margins of the upper and sock lining. Prior to the operation of the illustrated machine, a last 90 is forced into the assembled upper and sock lining to shape the forepart and side portions of the upper leaving only that portion of the upper from the tip line to the extremity of the toe portion to be shaped about the last by the illustrated machine. The contacting surfaces of the margins of the upper and sock lining at the toe portion of the shoe have preferably been coated with cement to cause them to adhere to each other when they are brought into mutual contact as shown in Fig. 3. g The last, with the upper end sock lining mounted thereon, is arranged in upright position on the work supporting plates, as shown in Fig. 2, with the toe portion of the upper in contact with the wiping edge face 24 of the wiper plate 22. The operator then depresses the treadle 64 thus swinging the lever 70 in a clockwise direction, as seen in Fig. 2, and thereby elevating the post 36. The elevation of the post causes the last and the upper to move upwardly relatively to the wiper plate 22. During such upward movement the operator maintains a toeward pressure on the rear portion of the last so that the upward movement of the last and the upper will be eifective to cause the toe portion of the upper to be shaped about the last by the wiper plate 22.

In the course of the upward movement of the work SUP? porting plate 46 the bottom margin of the toe portion of the upper is brought into a horizontal position and pressed against the margin of the sock lining 88, as shown in Fig. 3. Further upward movement of the post 36 after the elevation of the work supporting plate 46 has been arrested by the wiper plate 22 compresses the spring 48 in order to increase the presure applied to the mutually contacting margins of the upper and the sock lining. In the course of said upward movement of the post 36 the base 92 of the bore 42 in the post engages the lower end of the stem 58 and moves the work supporting plate 54 upwardly relatively to the work supporting plate 46 into its position shown in Fig. 3, such movement of the work supporting plate 54 terminating upon the engagement of the base 92 of the bore 42 with the lower end face of the stem 44 of the work supporting plate 46. The extent of upward movement of the work supporting plate 54 is accurately determined by the adjustment of the threaded head 60 of the stem 58 in the tapped counterbore 62 in the stem 56 of the plate 54. The upward movement of the work supporting plate 54 relatively to the plate 46 causes the toe portion of the upper 86 to be stretched over the last and causes a crease to be formed by the wiper at the root of the out-turned flange of the upper. This crease provides a mark which the sewing machine operator follows in stitching the upper to the sock lining about the toe portion of the shoe.

In making certain types of shoes or in handling certain kinds of upper materials it is sometimes desirable to draw the upper material more tightly over the last at the extremity of the toe portion of the upper than at opposite sides thereof. When it is desired to achieve this result, the work supporting plate 94, illustrated in Fig. 4, is substituted for the work supporting plate 54, illustrated in Fig. 2. The plate 94 is tapered so that its thickness is greatest at its narrow end portion, that being the portion of the plate nearest the toe end of the last. In the operation of the machine with the plate 94 mounted therein, the upward movement of said plate, relatively to the work supporting plate 46, causes the last to be tilted slightly so that the extremity of the toe portion of the last is elevated somewhat more than the tip line portion of the last and consequently the upper material at the extremity of the toe receives a greater pull than the upper material. at opposite sides of the toe portion.

While the operation of the illustrated machine is herein described in its application to the manufacure of slip lasted shoes, it is to be understood that the machine isnot limited, in its utility, to operation on shoes of this type but may be employed with satisfactory results in shaping the toe portions of other types of shoes.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a machine for shaping uppers over lasts, a first work support .for a shoe sole and a last arranged in upright position on the sole and having an upper mounted thereon, a lasting wiper, means for supporting the wiper and holding it against movement heightwise of the last, means for moving the first work support heightwise of the last to cause the wiper to shape the upper over the last, a second work support, and means for moving the second work support heightwise of the last relatively to the first work support.

2. In a machine for shaping uppers over lasts, a first work support for a last arranged in upright position and having an upper and a shoe sole assembled thereon, a lasting wiper, means for supporting the wiper and holding it against movement heightwise of the last, means for moving the first work support heightwise of the last to of the first work support has been arrested by the wiper.

4. In a machine for shaping uppers over lasts, a first work support for a last and assembled thereon, a shoe upper and a sole having a margin extending beyond the edge of the last bottom, said work support being extended beyond the edge of the last bottom to support the margin of the sole, a lasting wiper, means for moving the work support heightwise of the last to cause the wiper to shape the upper over the last and to cause the out-turned margin of the upper and the margin of the sole to be gripped to gether between the wiper and the extension of the first work support, a second work support, and means for actuating the second work support to move the last heightwise relatively to the first work support after the margins of the upper and the sole have been gripped together between the first work support and the wiper.

5. In a shoe machine, a first work support constructed and arranged to engage a sole on a last bottom, a second work support constructed and arranged to engage a sole on a last bottom, means for moving the first work support to a stop position and for thereafter actuating the second work support to move the work relatively to the first work support.

6. In a shoe machine, a first work support constructed and arranged to engage a sole on a last bottom, a second Work support constructed and arranged to engage a sole on a last bottom, means for moving the first work support to a stop position and for thereafter actuating the second work support to move the Work relatively to the first work support to a predetermined extent.

7. In a shoe machine a first member and a second memsole thereof, an acturesiliently yielding means a first work support having a recess, a second work support mounted in the recess in the the actuator moves the first member and posis.

' moving the second of the first work support,

work support after the movement of the first Work support has been arrested.

10. In a shoe machine, a first work support, a second work support, an elevator, means for actuating the elevator, resiliently yielding means whereby the elevator moves the first work support, positive means whereby the work support relatively to the first work support, and means whereby the extent of movement of the second work support relatively to the first Work support is adjustable.

11. In a shoe machine, a lasting wiper, means for rigidly mounting the wiper in a fixed position, a first work support, an elevator for actuating the first work support to the wiper, and a second work support movable relatively to the first work support after the first work support has been arrested by the wiper.

12. In a shoe machine, a lasting wiper, means for rigidly mounting the wiper in a fixed position, a work support, an elevator for actuating the first work support thereby second work support relatively to the first work support.

13. In a shoe machine, a first-work support for mounting a shoe in upright position by engagement with a marginal area of the s oe bottom, a second work support havthe machine relatively to the first work support.

14. In a shoe machine, a lasting wiper, a first work supto wipe a shoe upper heightwise of a last on support, a second work support having a work supportwork support.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS supporting surface flush means whereby the actu work support heightwise of a shoe in 

